Roast 'em, Toast 'em, Smoke 'em If you Got 'em

[Schlenkerla]

Adding more roasting instructions with lovibond values.

See post 22.

Let me know if this can't be opened. Ok
Thanks.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...sXMOFILbuLpJ3c3SaOOVDVIdD8A/edit?usp=drivesdk

 

[TANSTAAFB]

@Schlenkerla this thread is so full of awesome information, thank you [emoji482]

I see a smoked brew or 5 in my future!

BTW, I made some home toasted malt a couple of weeks ago for a club competition where I couldn't add outside ingredients

While perusing home coffee roasting (cuz I need another hobby...) I came across the idea of using a whirlypop for coffee and immediately thought about using it for grain!

 

[TANSTAAFB]

 

[Schlenkerla]

@Schlenkerla this thread is so full of awesome information, thank you [emoji482]

I see a smoked brew or 5 in my future!

BTW, I made some home toasted malt a couple of weeks ago for a club competition where I couldn't add outside ingredients

View attachment 551711View attachment 551712View attachment 551713

While perusing home coffee roasting (cuz I need another hobby...) I came across the idea of using a whirlypop for coffee and immediately thought about using it for grain!

You're Welcome! - I need another thread participant to bounce ideas off of now and then. You and MaxStout are the only ones who've posted lately. Make me feel less OCD.

My first brew with a home roasted 2-Row was on a Club SMaSH Competition. I converted pale malt to Munich in an IPA triple hopped with Summit. Took first place. Afterwards they asked about the malt, as I told them about converting pale malt to Munich. They considered it cheating, however it was half joking, half serious. I argued its still single malt, 2-row, or pale malt. It was a 10lb grist for 5 gallons. I used 1lb as converted Munich and 9 lbs as plain pale. It was a good tasty, roasty IPA with a nice orange tangerine bite.

For what its worth, I hate buying grain online, don't like having to pay the shipping. My local HBS is fairly disorganized and specialty grains are hit and miss. Getting crystal 20L and 40L are hard to get at times. I've been buying 2-Row for awhile in 55lb bags, so I've decided to make my own roast/specialty malts along with my smoked malts. It adds a uniqueness to all of my beers. Its also very gratifying to say its made only from pale malt.

Cheers!

 

[Schlenkerla]

View attachment 551714

It so funny you were looking at this. Just this morning I have been scouring the web looking for this with 110VAC. These are all 220VAC.

I like the idea a temperature control and the whirly-gig spinning for even browning.

I was thinking of using this only for making darker specialty malts; Chocolate, Black, Crystals over 120L.

Its about $152 on Amazon but you need to buy a step-up transformer to use in the US.

High Quality 220V 1200W Household Coffee Roasters Coffee Bean Roasting Machine Baking Machine

 

[Schlenkerla]

Crap.... 1200 watt step-up transformers are close to 1/2 the cost of the roaster.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Might just have too buy a stir crazy popper and a convection roaster instead....

... then do it like coffee beans.

Look at this link; http://www.uroastem.com/cooling-pan.html.

Or this one; http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/homeroast/15383

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Nope, that's the good ole hand crank popcorn maker! $20

https://express.google.com/product/...campaign=gsx&dclid=CMqW3LipstgCFUt9Ygod_5oP2A

 

[Schlenkerla]

Nope, that's the good ole hand crank popcorn maker! $20

https://express.google.com/product/...campaign=gsx&dclid=CMqW3LipstgCFUt9Ygod_5oP2A

I'm lazy and I can't crank that and hold my beer at the same time. LOL

Looks like a three hand operation.

I need electric ....

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I'd prefer electric too but I've got a Whirlypop I've never used sitting in a cupboard! I'll be very interested if/when you come up with something affordable and workable

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Check this out! I wonder what would happen with malt in an unmodified bread machine? I'll have to try it. If that won't work I'll add the heat gun, sounds like a cheap and easy auto stir roaster!

https://www.laurengreutman.com/how-to-roast-coffee-using-a-bread-machine/

 

[Schlenkerla]

Nice article and another DIY idea....

I have a bread machine and I use it frequently. The stir paddle only turns to knead the dough. I think during the kneading its on warm but not really hot. It stops turning once the bread begins to rise and bake.

I think convection ovens are a better choice for this type of roasting. Set it and forget it. A large convection oven with a thin layer of grain might be a better solution provided you still want to use it for its intended purpose.

Obviously the bread machine works, you just have to rig it to heat right.

For what it's worth, I plan to use my conventional oven for nearly all of specialty malts. I just need a special roaster ONLY for chocolate, black and real dark crystal malts.

I'd love to have the Eleoption roaster for this. It's got everything you need; on/off switch, temperature dial, a spinner to keep the grain moving and a lid that fits. I'm so surprised there isn't 110vac device on the market.

Seems like it would be super simple to use. Whereas the stir crazy popper with the convection top would be two things you'd have to buy and cobble together. You want the convection top to fit on the stir crazy popper. I'd have to take a tape measure to Target/and or Walmart.

I even looked for stir bar to put on a pot to make a whirly pop. I have personal preference for an appliance that'll do the work.

I also have a Ronco rotisserie oven, that could possibly do the job, but I'd need to build/buy a drum for this purpose.

I'm on the fence as to spending the money on the step up transformer and buying the eleoption.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I've made black malt in a big kettle so far. Had to stand there and stir for 25 minutes constantly and fan the smoke away.

I roasted it too long to be chocolate malt. The guy is right it can change in matter of seconds from being roasted to charred.

I'd like something that could run longer at a lower temp to accomplish the same thing.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Yeah, and it took me a couple of hours to toast my 1# of malt in a skillet, constantly stirring or shaking the pan. I realize I probably could have done it in the oven but I was planning on making chocolate and black malt but I 1) got tired of stirring and 2) chickened out because I didn't want to spend that much time and energy and screw it up! Definitely interested in finding something both cheap and set n forget. The bread machine would have to be hacked to 1) keep the stirrer going and 2) modified so that it actually moved malt around. Gotta be an easier way...

 

[Schlenkerla]

Yeah, and it took me a couple of hours to toast my 1# of malt in a skillet, constantly stirring or shaking the pan. I realize I probably could have done it in the oven but I was planning on making chocolate and black malt but I 1) got tired of stirring and 2) chickened out because I didn't want to spend that much time and energy and screw it up! Definitely interested in finding something both cheap and set n forget. The bread machine would have to be hacked to 1) keep the stirrer going and 2) modified so that it actually moved malt around. Gotta be an easier way...

The stir crazy popcorn is only $24.99 at Target. I think it's worth the try. Worst case would be is that it's only good for making popcorn.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Spent $25 and bought a stir crazy popper... Made a mild chocolate malt last night.

Takes a about 45 minutes to do a pound. There's nothing to do but watch the stir bar spin.

I added tin foil to the bars to make it like a paddle.

The kernels are not black like Muntons or Briess' malts. It tastes the same.

 

[triethylborane]

@Schlenkerla and anybody else:

Id appreciate thoughts on this recipe I created for a rauchbier. I want the smoke and I want that marzen malt as well, very demanding. I have a cabinet smoker, so smoking malt at the casa is on the table. If I bought grain, it would be beech, but I think if I smoked it, I might go with mesquite or oak. Dunno. I lowered mash temp to get a lower FG, I want malt, but not a malt bomb.

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.044
Efficiency: 65% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV (standard): 5.56%
IBU (tinseth): 21.99
SRM (morey): 13.71

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - German - Smoked Malt (73%)
0.2 lb - German - Carafa II (1.5%)
3 lb - German - Vienna (21.9%)
0.5 lb - German - Melanoidin (3.6%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.75, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.69
1 oz - Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.75, Use: Boil for 20 min, IBU: 8.29

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Sparge, Temp: 151 F, Time: 90 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

YEAST:
White Labs - Oktoberfest/Märzen Lager Yeast WLP820
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 69%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 52 - 58 F
Fermentation Temp: 58 F
Pitch Rate: 1.5 (M cells / ml / deg P)

NOTES:
Cold crash + gelatin after FG range achieved.

2 tsp gelatin in 75f water, sit for 20min, then microwave until clear.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

Spent $25 and bought a stir crazy popper... Made a mild chocolate malt last night.

Takes a about 45 minutes to do a pound. There's nothing to do but watch the stir bar spin.

I added tin foil to the bars to make it like a paddle.

The kernels are not black like Muntons or Briess' malts. It tastes the same.



View attachment 552963View attachment 552964

That's awesome! Can you post a pic of your tin foil paddles? It looks like it's working perfectly!

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

I’m considering brewing a version of the oak smoked dopplebock. Schlenkerla’s website says the grain bill is 100% smoked malt. Which malt would y’all recommend smoking for this beer in order to get that nice amber color? I’m thinking of using 100% smoked Munich, but I don’t think the colot will be right. I have light Munich on hand. If I smoke that, what color can I expect? If worse came to worse, I could use an ounce or two of carafa to darken it, but I would like to stay true to the original if possible.

 

[Schlenkerla]

That's awesome! Can you post a pic of your tin foil paddles? It looks like it's working perfectly!

Yes, here goes.

Take the nut off the machine and remove the stir bar.

Cut about 12" length of tin foil.

Then cut the 12 length in half, down the middle. Then fold in half down long side.

(Yeah - That's ^^^ my beer belly.) LOL

 

[Schlenkerla]

Then wrap each tin foil strip around the stir bar.

(Sorry about the blurry photo.)

Reattach the stir bar and form like a triangle wedge.

Start roasting malt.

Wet or dry. If wetted use distilled water.

 

[Schlenkerla]

@Schlenkerla and anybody else:

Id appreciate thoughts on this recipe I created for a rauchbier. I want the smoke and I want that marzen malt as well, very demanding. I have a cabinet smoker, so smoking malt at the casa is on the table. If I bought grain, it would be beech, but I think if I smoked it, I might go with mesquite or oak. Dunno. I lowered mash temp to get a lower FG, I want malt, but not a malt bomb.

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Oktoberfest/Märzen
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.044
Efficiency: 65% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.060
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV (standard): 5.56%
IBU (tinseth): 21.99
SRM (morey): 13.71

FERMENTABLES:
10 lb - German - Smoked Malt (73%)
0.2 lb - German - Carafa II (1.5%)
3 lb - German - Vienna (21.9%)
0.5 lb - German - Melanoidin (3.6%)

HOPS:
1 oz - Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.75, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.69
1 oz - Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.75, Use: Boil for 20 min, IBU: 8.29

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Sparge, Temp: 151 F, Time: 90 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

YEAST:
White Labs - Oktoberfest/Märzen Lager Yeast WLP820
Starter: Yes
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 69%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 52 - 58 F
Fermentation Temp: 58 F
Pitch Rate: 1.5 (M cells / ml / deg P)

NOTES:
Cold crash + gelatin after FG range achieved.

2 tsp gelatin in 75f water, sit for 20min, then microwave until clear.

Your recipe looks pretty good. I checked 4 sources; Smoked Beers, Brewing Classic Styles, Secrets of Master Brewers, and The Homebrew Recipe Bible. Nearly all of the recipes were very close to your grist. They usually called out a blend of Pilsner, Vienna and Munich or just the last two. Two of the four called out for Melanoidin, one called out CaraMunich-60L.

Melanoidin is a common sub for CaraMunich-60L or Special Roast (Mentioned in Smoke Beers)

FYI - Common Grain Substitutions - https://www.brew.is/files/malt.html

The main part of your grist (the 73%) should be Munich as the base malt. If you buy Weyermans Rauch it will be a Beech Wood Light Munich. You can use pale malt and make your own Munich, then smoke it with one of these; Beach, Cherry, Apple Hickory and Oak. Mesquite and maple are much stronger woods. Most people who use these in beer recommend blending these with other milder woods. I have yet to use mesquite in beer, but I will in time.

Many people who make recommendations on percentages of smoked malt suggest 20 to 50% of the grist if its home made. I've been doing 40-50%. Its believed to be stronger in smoke flavor than Weyerman's Rauchmalt.

See post #81 for making your own Munich.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I’m considering brewing a version of the oak smoked dopplebock. Schlenkerla’s website says the grain bill is 100% smoked malt. Which malt would y’all recommend smoking for this beer in order to get that nice amber color? I’m thinking of using 100% smoked Munich, but I don’t think the colot will be right. I have light Munich on hand. If I smoke that, what color can I expect? If worse came to worse, I could use an ounce or two of carafa to darken it, but I would like to stay true to the original if possible.

Your right. The color will be a problem. The Schlenklerla makes their own malt, so when it gets kilned it gets smoked but also roasted, toasted and some barley kernels darken and turn black. Its serious old-school malting. I asked the owner of the Schlenkerla, Mathias Trum and thats what he told me. His grain bill is one batch of kilned grains. Its not uniform in its kilning, some grains are light some medium and some really dark.

So yeah the color is a complicated thing. The original clone recipe for a Bamberg Marzen from Ray Daniels Smoke Beers is this;

Munich (49.5%)
Weyermans Rauch Malt (49.5%)
Black Patent or Carafa II or "Chocolate" (1%)

Hopped at 30 IBU;
- 60 minutes with Tetnanger 1.4 oz
- 0 minutes Tetnanger 0.25 oz.

Yeast - Bavarian or Munich Lager.

He suggests a bock can be made by simply boosting just the Munich and Weyerman's Smoked Malt by 20%, hop per the Marzen.

They also do a double decoction mash. Protein Rest at 122F and Saccharification at 154F


Ray Daniels Smoke Beer has a Millennium Rauchbock.... Looks like a good beer to make with DIY Oak Smoked Malt. The base can be Munich or Pale Malt converted to Munich, then Oak Smoke it.

 

[triethylborane]

Your recipe looks pretty good. I checked 4 sources; Smoked Beers, Brewing Classic Styles, Secrets of Master Brewers, and The Homebrew Recipe Bible. Nearly all of the recipes were very close to your grist. They usually called out a blend of Pilsner, Vienna and Munich or just the last two. Two of the four called out for Melanoidin, one called out CaraMunich-60L.

Melanoidin is a common sub for CaraMunich-60L or Special Roast (Mentioned in Smoke Beers)

FYI - Common Grain Substitutions - https://www.brew.is/files/malt.html

The main part of your grist (the 73%) should be Munich as the base malt. If you buy Weyermans Rauch it will be a Beech Wood Light Munich. You can use pale malt and make your own Munich, then smoke it with one of these; Beach, Cherry, Apple Hickory and Oak. Mesquite and maple are much stronger woods. Most people who use these in beer recommend blending these with other milder woods. I yet to use mesquite in beer, but I will in time.

Many people who make recommendations on percentages of smoked malt suggest 20 to 50% of the grist if its home made. I've been doing 40-50%. Its believed to be stronger in smoke flavor than Weyerman's Rauchmalt.

See post #81 for making your own Munich.

Thanks for the insight here.

It looks like the best route for what I want would be to smoke the malt myself. I have beech on hand, but also oak, apple, cherry, plum and mesquite. I think Ill hold off on mesquite, though that hawaiian kiawe mesquite bean pod thread is seriously mouth watering, that smoke from the kiawe is amazing.

So regardless of oak or beech, Ill probably go with a 40% smoke malt made from a 50:50 blend of munich and vienna, then take up the rest with 56% vienna and 4% melanoidin. I definitely want some malt to pop through, kind of like drinking a honey baked ham beer.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Thanks for the insight here.

It looks like the best route for what I want would be to smoke the malt myself. I have beech on hand, but also oak, apple, cherry, plum and mesquite. I think Ill hold off on mesquite, though that hawaiian kiawe mesquite bean pod thread is seriously mouth watering, that smoke from the kiawe is amazing.

So regardless of oak or beech, Ill probably go with a 40% smoke malt made from a 50:50 blend of munich and vienna, then take up the rest with 56% vienna and 4% melanoidin. I definitely want some malt to pop through, kind of like drinking a honey baked ham beer.

Honey Baked Ham Beer. Yum!!!

 

[Schlenkerla]

Nice list of woods for smoking.... http://www.dantesdevine.com/pages/Smoking-Woods.html

Pistachio Nut Shells If you like the taste of pistachio nuts, the mild smoke adds it's flavor. Good on beef and pork, not good with fish.

Bought 3 pounds of Pistachios, not throwing the shells out this time.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Deleted Duplicate Post

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

Your right. The color will be a problem. The Schlenklerla makes their own malt, so when it gets kilned it gets smoked but also roasted, toasted and some barley kernels darken and turn black. Its serious old-school malting. I asked the owner of the Schlenkerla, Mathias Trum and thats what he told me. His grain bill is one batch of kilned grains. Its not uniform in its kilning, some grains are light some medium and some really dark.

So yeah the color is a complicated thing. The original clone recipe for a Bamberg Marzen from Ray Daniels Smoke Beers is this;

Munich (49.5%)
Weyermans Rauch Malt (49.5%)
Black Patent or Carafa II or "Chocolate" (1%)

Hopped at 30 IBU;
- 60 minutes with Tetnanger 1.4 oz
- 0 minutes Tetnanger 0.25 oz.

Yeast - Bavarian or Munich Lager.

He suggests a bock can be made by simply boosting just the Munich and Weyerman's Smoked Malt by 20%, hop per the Marzen.

They also do a double decoction mash. Protein Rest at 122F and Saccharification at 154F


Ray Daniels Smoke Beer has a Millennium Rauchbock.... Looks like a good beer to make with DIY Oak Smoked Malt. The base can be Munich or Pale Malt converted to Munich, then Oak Smoke it.

Awesome. Thanks for the insight. What if I went with 98-99% oak smoked Munich and 1-2% carafa iii or chocolate as a late addition just to get the color and none of the roastiness?

Shlenkerla says the dopplebock is hopped to 44 bittering units - I am assuming that is IBUs. I was thinking using tettnanger/spalt/hersbrucker at 60 minutes. Just enough for the 44 IBUs.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I need to get busy eating these.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Awesome. Thanks for the insight. What if I went with 98-99% oak smoked Munich and 1-2% carafa iii or chocolate as a late addition just to get the color and none of the roastiness?

Shlenkerla says the dopplebock is hopped to 44 bittering units - I am assuming that is IBUs. I was thinking using tettnanger/spalt/hersbrucker at 60 minutes. Just enough for the 44 IBUs.

I think thats correct. Ray Daniels book has Marzen at 30 IBU and the Schlenkerla website is 30 for the Marzen. They must be using IBU.

Are you going to smoke the malt yourself?

I assume you are I have never seek oak smoked rauch malt yet. My LHBS doesn't carry it yet. OK - Weyerman sells oak smoke. If you are buying it, i say go for it Use it as 98-99% of the grist.

https://www.rebelbrewer.com/shop/br...weyermann-smoked-malt-rauch-malt-by-the-pound

If so inclined to do it yourself, I'd try more like 50% rauch malt. Its mainly so you don't make something you can't drink. I think you need to learn or know how much smoke is captured in your malt via your smoking method. If you do what you say and smoke 10 pounds with oak and use it all in that recipe it might be awesome or overly smokey for your liking. I like smokey beer, so its not too much for me with my smoking method. I smoke my grain about 1-2 hours and use it at 50% so far.

Before you commit to big oaky smoked bock, why don't you make a batch of grain and make dunkel, brown ale or red ale with some of your grain. I'd hate to see you make a 1.080 beer that you can't drink because its over-the-top smokey. If you're set on that beer, do this. smoke your malt, crush a bit, like a handful and then make a barley tea with that malt to see how much smoke is infused in the malt. At least this way you have an idea how much smoke was absorbed by the grain.

I think you got the right idea on the color though. For example; So if you use 10lbs of 8L Munich it will make it a 10 SRM that looks orange-ish red. One oz of black malt makes it 13 and red. 4 oz of black malt takes it to 19 SRM and looks a bit brown. It won't take much to get a little roasty with black malt. I have used 4 oz of black patent and it has some roast taste bit not porter or stout like, it has a touch, just enough to compliment the smoke flavor.

I think smoked beer is like highly hopped beers after awhile is like its not enough... add more. I will say that a smokey beer will wreck your plate, it will taste smokey at first and then as your drink it your sense of taste fades. Until you pour another beer and start sucking the foam off your beer. To me thats when its most noticeable.

BTW - I think your hop choice is good. Tetnanger is a little spicey, I like it and Perle

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

I think thats correct. Ray Daniels book has Marzen at 30 IBU and the Schlenkerla website is 30 for the Marzen. They must be using IBU.

Are you going to smoke the malt yourself?

I assume you are I have never seek oak smoked rauch malt yet. My LHBS doesn't carry it yet. OK - Weyerman sells oak smoke. If you are buying it, i say go for it Use it as 98-99% of the grist.

https://www.rebelbrewer.com/shop/br...weyermann-smoked-malt-rauch-malt-by-the-pound

If so inclined to do it yourself, I'd try more like 50% rauch malt. Its mainly so you don't make something you can't drink. I think you need to learn or know how much smoke is captured in your malt via your smoking method. If you do what you say and smoke 10 pounds with oak and use it all in that recipe it might be awesome or overly smokey for your liking. I like smokey beer, so its not too much for me with my smoking method. I smoke my grain about 1-2 hours and use it at 50% so far.

Before you commit to big oaky smoked bock, why don't you make a batch of grain and make dunkel, brown ale or red ale with some of your grain. I'd hate to see you make a 1.080 beer that you can't drink because its over-the-top smokey. If you're set on that beer, do this. smoke your malt, crush a bit, like a handful and then make a barley tea with that malt to see how much smoke is infused in the malt. At least this way you have an idea how much smoke was absorbed by the grain.

I think you got the right idea on the color though. For example; So if you use 10lbs of 8L Munich it will make it a 10 SRM that looks orange-ish red. One oz of black malt makes it 13 and red. 4 oz of black malt takes it to 19 SRM and looks a bit brown. It won't take much to get a little roasty with black malt. I have used 4 oz of black patent and it has some roast taste bit not porter or stout like, it has a touch, just enough to compliment the smoke flavor.

I think smoked beer is like highly hopped beers after awhile is like its not enough... add more. I will say that a smokey beer will wreck your plate, it will taste smokey at first and then as your drink it your sense of taste fades. Until you pour another beer and start sucking the foam off your beer. To me thats when its most noticeable.

BTW - I think your hop choice is good. Tetnanger is a little spicey, I like it and Perle

That’s a great idea to make the barley tea to get an idea of how much smoke will come through. Between finding this thread and drinking a Rauchbier Marzen last night, this is what happened.

That’s 17 pounds of Munich smoking at 150-160° in Post Oak smoke. I can’t wait!!!

 

[Schlenkerla]

That’s a great idea to make the barley tea to get an idea of how much smoke will come through. Between finding this thread and drinking a Rauchbier Marzen last night, this is what happened.


View attachment 554003 View attachment 554004

That’s 17 pounds of Munich smoking at 150-160° in Post Oak smoke. I can’t wait!!!

Go' dang you don't mess around!

How are you holding the grain? You using screen material? I'd like to see how you get 17 pounds off that smoker.

I suppose you could clean the shop vac and suck it out pretty cleanly. Then it's bucket to bucket transfer.

Make sure you dry that for a few days in an oven, 150-170F or so, then air out for two weeks at room temp to mellow. You want the acetic acid (vinegar) to flash off.

The smell the day after is way different at 14 days. So much better.

I use an old dresser with a drawer open about an inch. It's now a grain oast.

Looks good!!! [emoji482]

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

Go' dang you don't mess around!

How are you holding the grain? You using screen material? I'd like to see how you get 17 pounds off that smoker.

I suppose you could clean the shop vac and suck it out pretty cleanly. Then it's bucket to bucket transfer.

Make sure you dry that for a few days in an oven, 150-170F or so, then air out for two weeks at room temp to mellow. You want the acetic acid (vinegar) to flash off.

The smell the day after is way different at 14 days.

I use an old dresser with a drawer open about an inch. It's now a grain oast.

Looks good!!! [emoji482]

LOL. I built a basket out of an old window screen. Getting that off the smoker wasn’t too bad, but it was a two man job. I slid the basket onto a couple of cookie sheets and had my wife help me carry it in the house. I transferred all the grain to cookie sheets to dry in the oven. I haven’t yet told her that both of her ovens would be occupied for a couple days.

 

[triethylborane]

mirin' the squat rack and the smoked malt

holy jeeez 17lbs lol

 

[Schlenkerla]

LOL. I built a basket out of an old window screen. Getting that off the smoker wasn’t too bad, but it was a two man job. I slid the basket onto a couple of cookie sheets and had my wife help me carry it in the house. I transferred all the grain to cookie sheets to dry in the oven. I haven’t yet told her that both of her ovens would be occupied for a couple days.

She can use the smoker. Right?

I think mesquite smoked, beef pot pie would be pretty dang good.

Hickory smoked pan of lasagna.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

I REALLY like smoked meat, smoked cheese, smoked fish, smoked nuts...hell, I think I'd like smoked ice cream! But a 100% smoked beer seems over the top to me. I like subtle smokiness in a beer but the in your face smoke would need a LOT of time to mellow in my opinion.

 

[TANSTAAFB]

But I'm definitely going to smoke some malt next time I fire up the smoker!

 

[Schlenkerla]

I REALLY like smoked meat, smoked cheese, smoked fish, smoked nuts...hell, I think I'd like smoked ice cream! But a 100% smoked beer seems over the top to me. I like subtle smokiness in a beer but the in your face smoke would need a LOT of time to mellow in my opinion.

True. Like a big beer that needs to age for the ABV. Aging smoked grain where it disipates over time might allow you use close to 100%.

I started out thinking 100% smoke and have ventured in to 40-50% based on all the suggestions I read for DIY smoking of grains. What I have made and tasted so far is not too smokey. I haven't used 100% yet. If you were to use Weyermans near 100% it would not be too much since its basically very similar to Schlenkerla's malt without the dark or black roasted malts. I'd still want the roasted taste with the beer be it slight or pronounced. I guess 100% would NOT be the best in a true single malt pale ale or lager.

I think smoke grains in beer is gradual acceptance of the flavor up to the point more is not enough, kin to super hoppy IPAs. I will say that it needs roasted or toasted malts to make it pair or have a roasty, toasty malt and smoke fusion. So 100% in my opinion is very unlikely unless your smoking process is at higher temp where you get uneven roast on the grains. Where the results are mostly, tan, some brown, a little black, but all smoked. Basically what happens as The Schlenkerla malts it own grains.

This beer style is a beer for food pairing, be it smoked food, grilled with char marks, or stir fried spicy Asian food or Mexican foods. Something with some good browning and carmelization going on when you're cooking. The smoke is more readily acceptable with these food types.

BTW - The best thing about smoke beers, even the beer belches are smokey!

 

[Schlenkerla]

Made more mild black malt tonight.... 1lb, 100 minutes at 350F starting wet. Wetted pale malt for 24 hours then roasted it... Smells good.

 

[Blackdirt_cowboy]

Here is some of the Munich that I smoked the other day. It’s dried and airing out right now. These were smoked for 2 hours at 150° with post oak wood. You can see a few black kernels sprinkled in between. Those were the ones closest to the fire box. It must have been a little hotter in that area of the smoker and they got roasted pretty good. It’s a pretty small percentage though, so hopefully they will just add a small amount of smokiness to the beer.

You are right about the smell changing. Right off the smoker, the grains only smelled roasted. After 2 days, they have a very nice smoky aroma. Every time I walk in the house, it smells like I’m smoking sausage. I can’t wait to use some of this in a beer.